This application claims the priorities of German Application Nos. 198 32 623.8, filed Jul. 21, 1998, and 199 19 456.4, filed Apr. 29, 1999, the disclosures of which are expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a bass reflex box of a radio-sound system of an automobile.
Bass reflex boxes require a relatively large volume for installation, for which sufficient space is frequently unavailable in the interior of an automobile. In order to satisfy a desire for powerful bass from the sound system for the driver and passenger, a bass reflex box located in the back of a vehicle interior requires a volume on the order of at least 15 liters.
The invention is thus concerned with the problem of how to accommodate a bass reflex box with a relatively large volume in the interior of an automobile without an associated perceived reduction of interior or cargo space, which could be disturbing. In addition, a location accommodating such a box must be selected at which the sound effect provided for the vehicle occupants is as good as possible.
This problem is solved according to the present invention by locating the bass reflex box in the passenger foot area against the firewall that separates the vehicle interior from the engine compartment. Bass output openings from the box lead into the interior of the vehicle in the upper area, which is, as a rule, not contacted by the passenger's feet.
Advantageous embodiments of the present invention are described herein.
The invention is based on the general idea of selecting a location for installing the bass reflex box where space is available, without reducing the space in the interior or in the cargo compartment, while still producing optimum sound effects for the vehicle occupants. The bass reflex box according to the invention can be accommodated especially compactly when it also forms a front foot support area within the foot space of the passenger. This box can be covered by floor coverings, such as carpeting, with the carpet being even integrated into the surface of the box. With clever design, an intermediate layer that absorbs impact energy can be at least largely eliminated from the front foot support area below the floor carpeting. The bass reflex box can advantageously also be designed as a crash element itself so that it absorbs energy in the event of a collision.